My Lady
by JadeShadow
Summary: An epilogue to AOTC. Obi-Wan and Mace Windu depart for Naboo to make a case for Anakin to rejoin the Jedi Order. While there, sparks fly... *SPOILERS*


A/N: This came to mind out of the blue after I saw Attack of the Clones. It's the longest fic I've ever written.  
  
   
  
Disclaimer: Not mine. All this belongs to George, who could have done a better job on AOTC but in any case did a much better job than he did with TPM.  
  
   
  
Obi-Wan Kenobi stood at a window in the Jedi Temple, in his quarters, brooding. His Padawan was up to something, and it frustrated him that he could not sense what. Every time he tried to make mental contact he would run into a thick miasma, and the only things passing to him were emotions, hazy, such as happiness, and contentment. He supposed that was a good thing, but the fact that he did not know what was making Anakin feel better made the blocking even worse. For Anakin was blocking him, that was for sure.  
  
The door slid open. Obi-Wan's hands were clasped behind his back and he didn't turn as he said, "Come in, Master Yoda."  
  
The tiny Jedi Master hobbled into the room, seemingly relying on his gimer stick for support. Obi-Wan knew better; he had seen Master Yoda's true abilities with the lightsaber only a few weeks earlier. "I am surprised to see you so soon."  
  
"Troubled, this time is. Careful, the Jedi must be. Dear is time for meditation, reflection," Yoda said in that odd little voice of his.  
  
"I suppose it's all part of a plot to distract the Jedi to the edge," Obi-Wan said with a sigh, finally turning to face the Master.  
  
Yoda's lined face crinkled as he frowned and studied Obi-Wan. He held the little Jedi's gaze until Yoda broke contact with a nod. "Worried about your Padawan you are."  
  
Obi-Wan sighed and glanced back at the window, suddenly realizing that he had been studying the area of space where, somewhere, the insignificant planet of Naboo hung in orbit around its sun. As always, however, appearances were deceiving. The tiny planet of Naboo was the home to the most powerful man in the galaxy, the home of his Senator, and, apparently, the vacation choice for Anakin Skywalker.  
  
"He left three weeks ago, Master. He should have been back days ago. It was supposed to be an escort for the Senator back to Naboo, and then he could say good-bye and return. And," he hesitated, "when I try to reach, I hit a fog, as if he's purposefully blocking me."  
  
Yoda continued his study, his frown deepening. "Reasons for this blocking, do you know?"  
  
"No, and that's what bothers me." Obi-Wan shook his head, his blonde- brown hair of uniform length shaking slightly. He almost missed his Padawan braid at times, missing its familiarity and the promise of his Master, Qui-Gon…and Qui-Gon's Master had been the self-proclaimed Count Dooku, whose Master had been Yoda…one of Yoda's last Padawans…  
  
"Reason for worry you have, Obi-Wan. Let it consume you, you must not," Yoda advised somberly. "Let be your Padawan for a while we have. Time to contact Naboo and find reason for his silence, it is."  
  
"Thank you, Master," Obi-Wan said with relief.  
  
Yoda allowed a small smile to cross his face. "My permission to speak with Senator Amidala, you have."  
  
"I've tried," Obi-Wan said grimly. "Her and Anakin. Neither will respond."  
  
Yoda lifted an eyebrow. "Know the Senator's private comlink, do you?"  
  
Obi-Wan shrugged uncomfortably. "During the last mission, I picked up both signals as a safety precaution in the event that Anakin became separated from the Senator."  
  
Yoda nodded. "Be mindful of your feelings, Obi-Wan." He turned. "Come. Speak to Queen Jamilla, we will."  
  
Obi-Wan followed him out into the halls, and then through the Jedi Temple. He wished he did not have to resort to calling the Queen; he did not want her to worry about her Senator. Nevertheless, Padmé Amidala and Anakin Skywalker simply refused to answer all calls on their private comlinks; Padmé's had been turned off. As they wandered Obi-Wan dimly wondered when he had begun calling the Senator by her first name. Giving an internal shrug, he pushed it away and attempted to reach Anakin once more. Stretching out, he caught a brief image of the isolated regions on Naboo before the fog surrounded his thoughts again. He sighed, shook his head, and looked up to discover that they had reached the Council's com station.  
  
"Master Yoda?" he said, curiosity creeping into his voice. The Council's com station was usually reserved for the most urgent of calls.  
  
Yoda half-turned away from the console where he was busily entering the transmitting codes. "Worried about your Padawan I am. Sense that something terrible may have happened, do I. Of utmost importance to find him, it is."  
  
Obi-Wan nodded. Yoda seemed to be as worried as he was, but for different reasons. He shook his head as the link began broadcasting. "I didn't get a chance to talk to him before he left. If I had, perhaps I would know what was going on."  
  
He stopped when the image of a Nubian handmaiden appeared. "How may I be of service?" she said in a cultured voice.  
  
At Yoda's gesture Obi-Wan stepped forward. "Hello. My name is Obi- Wan Kenobi. I am a Jedi Knight, and I need to speak with Queen Jamilla."  
  
The girl nodded. "Please hold."  
  
Obi-Wan glanced at Yoda as they waited. The green Master seemed unperturbed by the wait, although for Obi-Wan himself could not deny that he was impatient to find his Padawan and discover what he was doing still on Naboo.  
  
The smiling image of Queen Jamilla came to replace the "Please Wait" sign on the hologram. "Master Kenobi," she said, her strong accent under control. "What a pleasant surprise. Have you heard the news?"  
  
Obi-Wan glanced at Yoda. "No, Your Highness, I have not. I must ask, are you alone in a private place?"  
  
Her smile wavered. "I am alone in my private quarters, Master. Is something wrong?"  
  
"No, no," he assured her. "I was just wondering if you had any knowledge of the whereabouts of my apprentice. I was expecting him back a few weeks ago, but to my knowledge he is still on Naboo."  
  
To his surprise Jamilla laughed. "Well, of course he's still on Naboo."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Well, you can't expect a man to run away from his honeymoon, can you?" Jamilla smiled at her own joke. "I can assure you, however, that your Padawan is perfectly fine."  
  
"Honeymoon?" Obi-Wan repeated in disbelief.  
  
"Yes." Jamilla gave him a curious look. "Surely you've heard."  
  
"Your Highness," he said, trying to keep his voice under control, "I have not spoken with my apprentice since before he left Coruscant to escort Senator Amidala back to Naboo. I request that you explain to me what's going on."  
  
Jamilla's smile vanished. "He assured me that he had gotten your permission—I knew it was extremely rare for Jedi to marry but they're so happy—"  
  
"Jamilla," Obi-Wan cut in gently. "What happened?"  
  
She looked up at him, seemingly, from her room on Naboo. "Two weeks ago," she said slowly, "your Padawan Learner married Senator Padmé Amidala in a private ceremony in the outskirt city of Laity."  
  
Obi-Wan looked to Yoda in alarm and discovered that the Jedi Master's face was equally grave. Anakin's feelings for the Senator had been obvious for quite some time, but no one had ever expected him to act on them. Returning his attention to the screen, he caught Jamilla's last words: "Would you like me to contact him?"  
  
"No," Obi-Wan said adamantly. "I will be coming to Naboo, but I do not wish for Anakin to hear a word of it."  
  
Jamilla bobbed her head. "Yes, Master Kenobi. I'm sorry if this has caused a problem."  
  
He gave a short bow in return. "Don't worry, Jamilla. This is a Jedi matter, that is all. Thank you for helping me."  
  
"You're welcome, sir." The Queen nodded to him and then the screen went blank. Obi-Wan turned to Yoda.  
  
"Call together the Council we must. Explained this situation must be. Required, your presence is."  
  
Obi-Wan bowed. "Yes Master. I'll be there."  
  
***  
  
Anakin Skywalker opened his eyes. He played with the idea of using the Force, but dismissed it and closed his senses down. "Ready or not, here I come!" he called, his eyes scanning the wooded area and the small cottage in the clearing for any signs of life. Nothing caught his eye, but then he saw a dark red blotch trying to blend in among the dark green foliage of the surrounding trees. He slowly approached, then pounced on the very suspecting woman hidden there. Padmé Amidala Skywalker fell down beneath him, her head back, laughing.  
  
"I caught you," he said. He felt very young, sometimes, in Padmé's presence, but when playing childhood games with her, he felt more like an equal. He still could not believe she had married him.  
  
"No, M'Jedi," she said, mocking his pronunciation of his favorite name for her, "M'lady." "Apparently I have caught you." Grabbing his shirt, she pulled him close and kissed him. He pulled back quickly.  
  
"Oh, no, Senator, you're going to have to try harder than that to catch me," he said teasingly, rolling off her. She promptly rolled on top of him, supporting herself with her arms as she kept her chest above him (giving him a fair view down the loose neck of her dress).  
  
Kissing him again, she said, "Is that enough?" He laughed and pushed her up using the Force. She gasped in surprise and flailed about for a moment, her red dress falling and her styled hair falling into disarray. "Anakin Skywalker, put me down!"  
  
"Oh, but why?" he asked mischievously. "I get such a lovely view of your—"  
  
"ANAKIN!"  
  
"Oh all right," he sighed mock-reluctantly, allowing her to slowly drift back down to the ground. She turned her nose up and refused to look at him.  
  
"Apologize."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"For what you just did."  
  
"What, may I ask, did I just do?"  
  
She glared at him. "You just deliberately disobeyed my command to never use the Force on me, you stupid Jedi."  
  
"I'm not stupid, M'lady" he said in an attempt to have a wounded pride.  
  
"Right—" she stopped when a beeping noise came from the cottage. With a sigh, she stood up. "Not again."  
  
"What is it?" he asked, following her inside the cottage and wrapping his arms around her waist when she stopped in front of the com unit, resting his head on her shoulder.  
  
"I deactivated this thing, but Dormé's com has the ability to reactivate it if there's an emergency. And, of course, Dormé is a wonderful girl, but she does have her occasional bouts of paranoia." Quirking an eyebrow she added, "Bouts that occur normally when I'm out of her reach."  
  
"Well, get this over with," he said, kissing her ear and then nuzzling her neck. "We have far more important things to be doing before we go back to the real world."  
  
"And what would those be?" she shot back at him as the com connected to Dormé. Within moments the other girl's face appeared.  
  
"M'lady?" she asked softly, looking almost afraid to have interrupted her.  
  
"What is it?" Padmé replied.  
  
Dormé looked almost nervous. "I'm not supposed to be calling you, and I'm very sorry to interrupt…" she faltered, "whatever you were doing…"  
  
Anakin grinned inwardly and continued to nuzzle Padmé's neck, sensing her acute annoyance through the Force. She glared at him and then replied, "Never mind him. He's trying to make trouble…what's going on? Has something happened in the Senate? Does Chancellor Palpatine need me? Is something wrong with Jamilla?"  
  
"None of that," Dormé said hesitantly. "Apparently it was supposed to be a surprise, but I though you and Anakin might want to know…"  
  
Anakin lifted her head and gazed at the figure on the screen. Gently he reached out to her, trying to sense what was wrong…"It's about my Master, isn't it."  
  
"Yes," said Dormé, relieved to have him break the ice. "Apparently he didn't know about the wedding. In any case, he's coming here in a few days to pay his respects, or something like that."  
  
"Is anyone coming with him?" Padmé asked, shooting a nervous look at her husband.  
  
Dormé shrugged. "The Queen seems to think someone might be coming with him, but he didn't say anything else."  
  
"What did he say?" Anakin added.  
  
The girl frowned. Reluctantly she said, " 'I will be coming to Naboo, but I do not wish for Anakin to hear a word of it.' "  
  
"That's what I thought," Anakin growled. "Thank you Dormé."  
  
"Will that be all?"  
  
Padmé glanced at Anakin, then turned back and nodded. "Thank you."  
  
Dormé smiled. "Enjoy yourselves." Her image winked out and the screen went blank. Padmé turned around to stare up at her husband.  
  
"What do you mean, he doesn't know about the wedding?"  
  
"He does now," Anakin said, releasing her to run a hand through his hair. "I didn't tell him, because he would come with the entire Council to make me change my mind." Looking down at her, he ran a finger down her cheek, then down onto her neck. She closed her eyes and let her head hang back. "Jedi aren't supposed to marry, you know."  
  
"Yes, but you gave me the impression that you had obtained permission," she said, suddenly pulling away and looking back at him. "Anakin, I don't like that you lied."  
  
He shrugged, not looking at her. "I didn't lie, I mislead. Politicians do it all the time."  
  
She groaned. "I don't appreciate it, Anakin. But even if he didn't know about the wedding, how did he become suspicious?"  
  
Anakin sighed. She was not going to like this. "I blocked our Master/Padawan link."  
  
"You WHAT?"  
  
"I blocked our link," he repeated.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Did you really want my Master feeling when we were together?" he demanded, coming closer. "Besides, if he knew what I was up to, he'd come to stop me, and…I couldn't bear that. I want to be with you, Padmé, even if it means I must renounce everything else."  
  
She gazed up at him intently. "Do you really mean that? Anakin, from what you've told me, Obi-Wan is like your father."  
  
"He is! But I can't stay his Padawan if it means I can't be with you." Taking her hand, he raised it to his lips. "I love you more than anything else, and I don't want anything to take us apart. We belong together, Padmé, I can feel it in my very bones."  
  
She bit her lip, concern in her eyes. "Anakin, what will happen when they come?"  
  
He sighed and dropped her hand. "I'll tell them of my intentions, and they'll sit for a long time trying to change my mind, since I'm the Chosen One and they made all these exceptions for me and they don't want them to go to waste. I will tell them 'no' as many times as I have to. Then, they'll…" he trailed off, not wanting to think about the next part. He had read about Jedi who had married without permission, ever since first hearing he would be meeting the Senator again. Swallowing, he said, "They'll take away my lightsaber, and tell me that I should keep my use of the Force to an absolute minimum, then leave me."  
  
"Oh, Anakin," she said, giving him a strong hug. "I know how much all that means to you."  
  
He pulled back and held her by the shoulders. "I told you, I'd give up everything to stay with you. You're my family, now. Obi-Wan or not, you're all I have left. I don't want to lose you."  
  
"And you won't," she whispered, reaching up to stroke his cheek. In a breathless murmur she said, "Anakin…"  
  
He understood, pulling her close and kissing her desperately. He needed her, needed to take everything she offered him, knowing it was his. Needing it to reassure him that she was his. He had to take it all from her, and then give back what he had left. She ran her hands up into his hair, kissing him back just as fiercely. He left her mouth, letting her kiss whatever she could reach as he trailed down her neck. After another moment, he scooped her up, pushing his mouth against her forcefully as he carried her to the bedroom. She clung to him fiercely, and he once again knew she was his.  
  
***  
  
Obi-Wan stepped up to the cottage door, glancing at Mace Windu as he did so. The powerful Jedi shrugged and reached out to knock. Obi-Wan was almost afraid to interrupt his Padawan, especially on an occasion like his honeymoon, but it could not be helped. If only Anakin has told him about what was going on, perhaps he would have been able to obtain permission. Anakin brought out the Council's cautious side, as they wanted to keep him happy to prevent him from turning. Of course, this encounter could well do the trick. Suppressing a sigh, he opened the door when no one answered the knock. He stepped inside, followed closely by Mace.  
  
"Anakin!" he called, sending out a mental summons, knowing the young man would sense it. "Anakin, we know you're here."  
  
A pretty woman wearing a loose red robe, her chocolate hair hanging loose past her waist, wandered into the room, rubbing something with a towel. Upon seeing the Jedi she started, but regained her composure. She looked each of them up and down and sighed. "Well, you're here." Looking directly at Obi-Wan, she added, "I suppose it wouldn't help to tell you he isn't going to change his mind?"  
  
"No," he said, reaching out and testing her sense. "Although I'm not surprised that you've done that to him, Senator." He allowed a teasing tone to drop into his voice. "I'm sure he's told you all about his dreams?"  
  
She permitted a faint blush to touch her cheeks, more for effect than anything else; Obi-Wan knew from experience how well she could control herself. "But of course," she agreed. "Excuse me, let me go confirm that he is presentable. Please, sit."  
  
She disappeared through another door. Obi-Wan glanced at Mace and they sat down in chairs. After a moment Obi-Wan hazarded, "The Senator seems happy."  
  
"Yes," Mace agreed. "However, I think someone informed her of our coming. She was too calm. In any case, we cannot forget Master Yoda's feelings on the matter. He senses a great danger coming from this union."  
  
"And great hope," Obi-Wan countered. "Master Windu, may I point out that if Anakin is forced to come back, it will probably not do much for the balance of the Force."  
  
A thin smile touched the other Master's lips, but sadness tinged it. "It may be too late for that. You heard about Yoda's feelings about Anakin's trip to Tatooine."  
  
"Yes." Obi-Wan scowled. "I wished for time to ask Anakin what happened, but he was immediately sent with the Senator. And looked what happened."  
  
Mace glanced at him. "I take it you are upset."  
  
"Just a small amount," Obi-Wan grated. "I know I should calm myself, but ever since he left I've been too troubled to meditate. I apologize for my roughness, Master."  
  
Mace shook his head. "I have been just as disturbed as you, Obi-Wan. I disliked sending Anakin away without having him consult you first, but it was the decision of the Council."  
  
Obi-Wan raised his eyebrow. "Where were you, soaking in a bacta tank?"  
  
Mace chuckled. "That's probably more true than you know, my friend."  
  
Obi-Wan opened his mouth to reply, but the arrival of his Padawan and the Senator stopped him. Anakin wore a plain Jedi tunic, his lightsaber hanging at his side, but he looked very uncomfortable. Obi-Wan noted that he had not cut his Padawan braid yet. Senator Amidala had changed into a dark blue dress and styled her hair into something much more simple than what probably matched the dress. He and Mace rose and nodded to her.  
  
"Sit, please," Mace said gravely. The pair glanced at each other and chose a loveseat. Anakin grasped Padmé's hand tightly. Mace and Obi-Wan sat back down in their chairs.  
  
After a moment, Padmé started the discussion with, "I apologize for not informing you of the wedding. I was under the impression," here she sent a momentary glare at Anakin, "that everything had been cleared by the Council."  
  
"We were not informed until four standard days ago," Mace said gently. "Your apology is accepted, Senator. None of this is anyone's fault."  
  
Anakin held Padmé's hand very tightly, so tightly that Obi-Wan could feel her hurting through the Force. "All right, say what you're going to say."  
  
Mace glanced at Obi-Wan, who looked deeply at Anakin and said, "Anakin, can I talk with you privately for a few minutes?"  
  
Anakin glanced at Padmé. "What I hear, she hears."  
  
"She will hear, but I wish to discuss this with you first," Obi-Wan said patiently. Turning to Padmé, he asked, "Is there anywhere we can talk?"  
  
"The kitchen," she said. "Anakin can show you."  
  
Anakin gave her a betrayed look, but stood and let go of her hand. Obi-Wan followed him. He closed the door behind himself and said, "What happened on Tatooine?"  
  
Anakin started, obviously not sensing the line of attack. "My-my mother…she died."  
  
"What else?" he prodded.  
  
Anakin swallowed, looking as though he wanted very much to tell, but was unable to. "It's nothing," he said brusquely.  
  
"Anakin, what happened?"  
  
"I'm not going to tell you, so leave me alone!" Anakin shouted, anger abruptly radiating off him in waves. Obi-Wan blinked, a sudden fear gripping him. The Senator had willingly placed her life in Anakin's hands, but Obi-Wan doubted she truly understood what was happening to Anakin.  
  
"All right," Obi-Wan said, attempting to calm his Padawan. "Why don't you—?"  
  
"NO!" Anakin yelled back. "I am not going to leave and go back with you to Coruscant! I am happy here, and I will not leave Padmé behind! You can't make me!"  
  
"Anakin," Obi-Wan said quietly, allowing to Force to carry his words. Anakin stopped in mid-rant at the calm power behind the name and stared at Obi-Wan. Satisfied that he had caught the younger man's attention, he continued in the same tone, "I am not trying to convince you to come back to Coruscant without your wife, or even to leave your wife and stay a Jedi. I just wanted to know why you did not tell me you were going to get married. If you had, I probably could have pulled some strings."  
  
"Since I'm the Chosen One and all," Anakin said, a trace of bitterness stirring his voice. "I suppose that would have been better than this, but I'm satisfied. Padmé and I are happy together, here, and I do not want to leave her. I cannot leave her. She's all I have." "I'm here, too, in case you didn't notice," Obi-Wan said quietly, resting a hand on Anakin's shoulder as the tears began to run down the young face, still almost boyish. "Anyway, you won't have to leave her. If Master Windu can convince the Council, I have no doubt the two of you will be allowed to remain married, and you wouldn't have to go on as many missions, once you were a Knight. And knowing your wife, I doubt she would sit behind and twiddle her thumbs while you go off, having adventures."  
  
A watery smile crossed Anakin's face. "You've got that right."  
  
Obi-Wan nodded. "The only thing is that you will have to go alone with Mace to a place in Theed, a sort of Jedi meeting place they have in the city. It would only be for a few days. Then, if all goes well, I will bring Senator Amidala…?"  
  
"She doesn't know what she's going to go by," Anakin said in answer to the unspoken question. "Probably Amidala."  
  
"Thank you. I will bring Senator Amidala to Theed and the Council will approve the marriage and such. Is this acceptable to you?"  
  
Anakin thought. "So, I would go with Master Windu to Theed for about three days while you stay here and keep watch over Padmé while the Council quizzes me about important matters, and then, if they accept it, you will bring Padmé to me in Theed and we will be formally married?"  
  
"Yes," Obi-Wan confirmed.  
  
"What if all doesn't go well?"  
  
"Then you will return here, and we will take away your lightsaber. But hopefully that won't happen."  
  
Anakin pondered this, his eyes falling half-closed. Obi-Wan watched worriedly. If Anakin did not accept the proposition, they would be in deep trouble. His thoughts, behind a strong barrier, flickered to Padmé. He did not want her to get hurt in the process, although if Anakin refused to go, or did go and was rejected, she would be in great danger.  
  
"I'll go."  
  
Obi-Wan let out his breath. "Good. Go tell Windu, then pack; we'll explain the situation to the Senator."  
  
Anakin laughed. "Master, stop being so formal. She is my wife, which makes her your impromptu daughter-in-law. You have my permission to call her Padmé."  
  
"All right," said Obi-Wan, wondering uneasily if Anakin had noticed his thoughts. "Come."  
  
Together they returned to the sitting room.  
  
***  
  
Mace Windu sat back in his seat in the landspeeder, shifting uncomfortably as Anakin Skywalker—expertly, he had to admit—took his job as pilot away. The boy—who was far too young to get married, in Mace's opinion—was at ease in control, obviously more at ease than he had been when they had first come to the city to rent a speeder. Mace sensed Skywalker's nervousness at being in the same place as such an important Jedi as himself, as well as his agitation about the whole affair.  
  
"You'll be fine," he said, looking outside at the landscape.  
  
Skywalker glanced over at him. "I am fine."  
  
Mace chuckled inwardly. "No, you're not. You're as nervous as you can be with this whole getting-married-without-permission fiasco of yours."  
  
"It's not a fiasco," Skywalker said, fiddling unnecessarily with the control board. "The Senator and I are very happy."  
  
Mace sighed inaudibly. "Yes, but you have to consider the rest of the galaxy."  
  
"That's her job. My job is to remain innocent of all that to give her something to come home to."  
  
"So in other words, you're planning to let her pay the rent?"  
  
Skywalker glanced over at him. "She already owns a house. We're renting the cottage for a month, which is about to end, and then we'll move into her house."  
  
"What happens when she is summoned to Coruscant?"  
  
"I'll go with her," he stated, as though the thought of being separated from her had never crossed his mind.  
  
Mace nodded thoughtfully. "I take it that you two have discussed this in great detail."  
  
"Of course," he responded. After that, a silence stretched for several kilometers as he lapsed into thought. Mace considered probing him but knew that he had barriers strong enough to block his Master. But then again, there was a way of peeking though barriers, if Skywalker did not notice…  
  
Closing his eyes, Mace let his thoughts flow outward, snooping around the edges of the other Jedi's mind. Slowly he began to sense the flow of Skywalker's thoughts. As he suspected, they centered mainly on his wife. Mace allowed his sense to be filled with nothing but Skywalker's thoughts of Padmé, and instantly he was allowed inside. Skirting around any thoughts of intimacy, he started searching diligently for clues to the portentous visions Yoda had concerning Skywalker's fate. Then he hit a jackpot: Skywalker's memory of his mother's death. With horror, he relived Skywalker's fury and subsequent murders of the tribe of Tusken Raiders. Gently he pulled away, out of the younger Jedi's mind, back into himself.  
  
"We're approaching Laity," Skywalker announced. "How many days will this questioning take?"  
  
"A day, why?" Mace replied.  
  
Skywalker shrugged. "I'm trying to reduce the amount of time I'm apart from Padmé. We can stay here tonight and make it to Theed by midday tomorrow, or we can press on."  
  
"Stay," Mace said decisively. "All the Jedi need to sleep, conserve their energy, rest, as much as possible, for the Council fears that soon there will be no rest for us."  
  
"All right," said Skywalker, adjusting the course to take them to the city. After a moment, the buildings began to appear on the horizon to Mace, although he knew that it would be many more kilometers before a normal person would be able to see it. It was located near a river, one of many on Naboo, and caused an interruption from the grassy plains over which they had been speeding. Skywalker skillfully piloted up to the city gate and gave the gatekeeper his name. The man smiled and asked something that made Skywalker laugh. After they drove in, Mace decided to probe him again, this time verbally.  
  
"What was that all about?"  
  
Skywalker laughed. "Oh, that's an old friend of Padmé's. This is near her old home. We got married here," he added wistfully.  
  
Mace chanced a sideways glance. "Does everything remind you of her?"  
  
"Yes," Skywalker said, almost firmly, as though reassuring himself of the fact. "Everything."  
  
"Ah," said Mace. Contemplation filled the silence that followed, as the other Jedi pulled up to a hotel, explained his purpose, and came back with a disk for the rooms. Mace accepted his thumbprint disk and boarded a turbolift for the top floor. As it turned out, Skywalker's room was right next to his. Shrugging, he slipped his disk into its slot and waited for the light to turn green. The door slid open and he went inside, closing it as he went. He lay on the bed, closed his eyes, but remained alert for any sign of attack.  
  
He settled back into his pillows to wait, troubled thoughts filling his mind. Was the Skywalker boy really worth all the trouble? He had felt his rage at his mother's death, and how he had skirted the edge of the Dark Side in his wrath. It worried him, realizing how dangerous his training had made him. He began to have doubts about Obi-Wan's vow to train him. We should have just left his training at control. There is no way he can become a Jedi, now. He is not going to pass the test, and when he realizes that, it will get very messy…  
  
As he started to slip into the vigilant sleep of a Jedi, Skywalker's words to his then-future wife began to echo around mockingly in his mind: "I killed them all. And not just the men, but the women, and the children. They're animals, and I slaughtered them like animals. I HATE THEM!"  
  
***  
  
Padmé woke up and shot up, panting hard, and wondering what was wrong. Something had happened, something bothersome, but what? Anakin would know. She rolled onto her elbow to ask him, only to discover that the other side of the bed was empty. Breathing a long sigh, she rolled back onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. That was all. Anakin had gone with Master Windu to see if he could remain a married Jedi. She had just missed his presence, that was all.  
  
Still, something still bothered her about the whole affair…Anakin's temper, most likely. The worst-case scenario had played through her mind over and over: They rejected Anakin's petition, stripped him of everything, warned him to never use the Force again, and died as Anakin threw dark lightning at them. She shuddered. There were no doubts in her mind as to Anakin's ability to kill them if he became angry enough…he had certainly not been bothered to kill the Sand People…sure, he had repented afterwards, but he had still done it…tasted another, darker power…. Padmé was not sure how she managed to know all this; she supposed she had fledgling Force powers that were specifically attuned to her husband…or maybe she was just worrying over nothing. She had been horrified enough to find out that he had killed his mother's killers; she just could not see her Anakin doing such a horrific deed. Just like she could not see Anakin killing his beloved Master (no matter what he said to the contrary, she knew Obi-Wan meant a great deal to him), but deep down, she knew that if he was prodded in that direction, his fury would be white-hot and uncontrollable. Afterwards he would repent, but the act would be accomplished, and there would be nothing left of Obi-Wan, Master Windu, and whoever else got in his way.  
  
Sometimes, after a night of passion, while he lay cuddled against her side, she would look down at him and stroke his hair, wondering why he had come to her, why they had been chosen to marry. She often felt more like his older sister—or even his mother—than his wife; why did they have to get married, instead of remaining friends? Maybe it was to stop his fall to the Dark Side…yes, Padmé decided, that was her job. That was her job: To be there, to be sympathetic, and to remind him of his limits. "No one is all powerful."  
  
"I should be. One day, I will be the most powerful Jedi. I will even stop people dying."  
  
Padmé turned her thoughts away from such dark matters. Reaching over to the nightstand, she pushed a button, allowing the lights to flicker on. She sat up, pushed off the wine-colored satin sheets, and got out of bed. She shrugged a robe over her white nightgown—the same thing she had been wearing when she had heard Anakin screaming about his mother—turned the lights off, and slipped out of her room, not wanting to disturb the house's other occupant.  
  
Once arriving at her destination, the kitchen, she turned on the drink dispenser. "Hot chocolate," she whispered, watching as the soothing liquid poured into the mug. Someone had introduced her to hot chocolate on Coruscant, and it made a nice change from the alcoholic drinks she had at parties and most diplomatic functions. It was simple and sweet, much like life on her family's farm. With a smile she took the full mug and let herself out the double glass doors leading onto the back porch, screened in to keep the bugs out.  
  
She sat down carefully into a padded wicker loveseat. The rest of the galaxy might consider wicker outdated, but, as all things did, it reminded her of a simpler time, a simpler life. She sipped at her drink and stared up at the full moon and its counterpart, although the second was merely a quarter. The sounds of jungle life echoed all around her. She closed her eyes and luxuriated in the feeling of comfort, and safety. This was her home, and would always be. This was why, as a child, she had stood up to some of the galaxy's most powerful trade directors. She smiled again.  
  
A light flickered on in the kitchen. Feeling like a little girl caught staying up past her bedtime, she brought her legs up and ducked her head below the back of the chair. She caught her breath, hoping the person hadn't been awaken by her nighttime endeavor, and that he would only get something to eat or drink, then go back to bed. The sound of bare feet hitting the wooden floor of the kitchen seemed to echo, as did the sound of the drink dispenser and a male voice saying, "I'll have what she's having."  
  
Padmé winced and sat back up. A few moments later, the Jedi Knight Obi-Wan joined her on the loveseat, carefully sitting as far to the side as he was able. Silently she drank another swallow and waited for him to speak.  
  
He tasted the drink. "What do you call this?"  
  
"Hot chocolate," she whispered, staring straight ahead. Something about the Jedi made her feel…uncomfortable, almost like the time she had a crush on one of her teachers…she quickly pushed the thought out of her mind. Calm, she reminded herself, calm.  
  
He took another drink. "It's good."  
  
She shrugged. "Someone on Coruscant introduced it to me." With a quick glance she added, "I didn't wake you up, did I?"  
  
He shrugged in reply. "You seemed agitated, worried by something. I thought I might find out what. I doubt," he added dryly, "that Anakin would want you feeling upset in anyway. I'd probably end up chopped in half or something."  
  
"I did wake you up. I'm very sorry. I tried to be quiet."  
  
He shook his head. "You were very quiet. I felt your rather disturbed feelings, that's all. Besides, I wasn't exactly asleep."  
  
"What were you doing, then?"  
  
Obi-Wan gave her a chastising look. "Oh, come now," he gently chided, "it's a Jedi matter, one you wouldn't be interested in at all."  
  
Finishing her drink, she set it on the glass table next to the seat and stared at him. "If I took that kind of talk, I'd have never become Queen. As Senator of Naboo, I am exercising the authority invested in me by Queen Jamilla and ordering you to tell me what you were doing."  
  
He chuckled, giving Padmé a faint flutter of pleasure that she quickly mashed into a pulp and tried to discard. "I didn't think you'd take 'no' for an answer. You're not the type to do so."  
  
"And what type am I?"  
  
Obi-Wan started suddenly, carefully setting his drink on the table nest to hers, using the Force to carry it. He might have blushed, though Padmé could not see him well enough to tell. Still, asking a question, albeit one that was more than a little flirtatious, that elicited a reaction from a Jedi Knight was something worth investigating. "Well?" she challenged.  
  
He pondered this visibly; Padmé could tell he was looking for words that would not damage the delicate situation in which she had put him. Funny, he was nearly twelve years her elder, but one simple question had reduced him to an awkward teenager. She hoped she was not like that. What an embarrassing thought, that an opponent could reduce you to an age level you would probably like to forget.  
  
"You're the sort of girl," he said slowly, "that, if met in the middle of a planetary crisis, is one who will attempt to control your every action, and usually succeeds to a fair degree, and, while seemingly rough on the outside, is really a kind, caring, rather pretty person beneath all the dirt and grime."  
  
Padmé blushed, turning deep red and hoping he could not tell. Was he trying to pay her a compliment, or was he just generalizing her alongside all the other girls of her type he had met? She shook herself mentally. Of course, he was not paying her a compliment; she was married to his Padawan, and he was trying to be nice for their sakes. If that is true, though, said a nagging voice, why can you not stop blushing?  
  
Padmé glanced at him, only to find that he was studying her with a hopeful eagerness like the one displayed by boys with extreme crushes. Unfortunately, the expression was fleeting; as soon as she turned her face on his, a mask slammed down.  
  
"I'm sorry," he said stiffly, turning to study the outdoors with great ferocity. "I didn't mean to upset you."  
  
"Oh no, you did not," she said quickly, wondering why she kept trying to bring him back. She was married to his Padawan, for crying aloud. "I'm fine."  
  
He glanced back at her. "Really?"  
  
"Yes," she assured him.  
  
He smiled, a tiny smile, barely visible beneath his beard. Padmé wondered what it was like to kiss someone with a beard, then flung that thought to the ground and jumped on it several times. Get a hold of yourself! she thought sternly. Just because he is handsome does not mean you should…should…. She shook herself mentally. The next few days were going to be rough, if she kept falling to pieces like this.  
  
Another fleeting, willful question popped up, wondering what would have happened had Obi-Wan been assigned to her protection, not Anakin. That question brought all sorts of mischievous thoughts to mind, each more daring—and lasting—than the previous one.  
  
"My lady?"  
  
Padmé jumped, happily shaken from her thoughts…even though they had been very…nice…. "What?"  
  
"I'm sorry," he said quickly. "I was just—well, I was, err, wondering, if you minded me calling you that."  
  
"No," she said. "Everyone calls me that."  
  
"No," he corrected, "everyone calls you 'M'lady.' I called you 'My lady.' "  
  
Padmé stared at him, wondering if she was searching too hard for a hidden meaning in the two words. Right." Hesitantly she added, "May I inquire as to why you wish to call me that?"  
  
He paused. "Oh…well…I just happen to think that 'My lady' sounds more respectful than 'M'lady,' and that…." He trailed off and mumbled the rest.  
  
Padmé was amazed. What kept making him act like a hopeless lover, knowing he had lost but still doggedly pursuing? Ah, no, more naughty thoughts surfaced…Go away, she begged. Do not ask him what he said…. "What was that last part? I didn't quite catch it."  
  
Obi-Wan looked directly at her, catching her in the warmth of his blue eyes, so different from Anakin's ice-cold eyes. " 'My lady' sounds more respectful than 'M'lady,' and that someone as…" he took a deep breath "…wonderful as you deserves that respect."  
  
He practically breathed the last words, but Padmé absorbed them anyway, dressing herself in them. Somehow, Obi-Wan's speech was more eloquent than anything Anakin had ever said. The back of her mind started screaming at her, but she ignored it, reassuring herself that this was all caused by the mood set by the darkness of night and the romantic sweetness of the setting. Forgetting everything, and throwing caution to the wind, she leaned in, caught her breath, and kissed him.  
  
He jerked back almost immediately, staring at her in shock. "What," she whispered, painfully aware of the beating of her heart and the shortness of her breathing, "don't tell me that was your first kiss."  
  
In the same short, almost scared voice he replied, "You could say that…"  
  
"Well, why don't you try a second one, to see if you like it," she suggested softly, feeling his warm breath upon her. She scooted until she was pressed against his side and pressed her lips against him a second time. His beard was soft, not scratchy as she had expected, and tickled her chin. He started to lean into the kiss, then pulled back and looked away.  
  
In a hoarse voice, full of the unrestrained emotion he obviously felt, he managed, "No. We shouldn't. It's not right…"  
  
Gently she reached up and stroked his cheek. "I know," she whispered, the feel of his skin beneath her light touch sending shivers up her spine, and making him visibly shake. "But I can't stop."  
  
"You need to learn self control," he whispered back, a shaky smile crossing his face.  
  
She smiled back. "I know," she agreed, "but…"  
  
"Will you stop saying 'but'? It's bad enough I'm questioning my maxims, and you're not helping."  
  
"It's not my job to help," she murmured. "Obi-Wan…"  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Obi-Wan," she repeated, feeling tingles travel up and down her as she said his name.  
  
"Padmé," he said in the same hoarse voice, before wrapping his arms around her, pulling her onto his lap, and pressing his lips to hers again. She floated away in bliss, feeling the soft movements of his hands on her back and his lips on hers. She slowly ran her hands up into his hair, feeling the same softness as his beard. Everything about him was so gentle, so giving; it made her want to give some back. She slowly dropped her jaw, and she could feel him tense in surprise beneath her arms. Rolling her closed eyes, she pressed harder. After a moment, he took the hint, and she fell away into happiness.  
  
Finally, after at least an hour, the kisses began to recede. Realizing that he wanted to talk, she pulled back and looked at him. "We shouldn't have done that," he said, his arms around her, his eyes staring into hers.  
  
Her fingers were entangled in his hair, and so she rubbed his scalp. "You're right. As always."  
  
He massaged her back in return, and she smiled as he pulled the kinks out. "As always." His eyes darkened as he added, "Some people wouldn't agree."  
  
"Don't bring Anakin into this," she begged softly. "All I want to think about is you."  
  
"Then why'd you marry him?"  
  
She hesitated. It had been rolling around in the back of her mind: Why did she marry him, if she was just going to have an affair before their first anniversary…"I don't know—heat of the moment, and well…I sort of see it as my job to keep him on the light side."  
  
He was silent for several minutes, studying her, and allowing her to drink in his image. Everything about him was so right, so wonderful. "Then you have the same worries I do." He stared at her more, looking as though he very much wanted to return to their previous activity but wanting to discuss the issue first. "I must admit, I doubt you having an affair with me is going to help the situation."  
  
"You're right, of course, as always." She smiled at him, but the mirth soon faded as the seriousness of his countenance began to shake her. "That's why, I think, after these days are over, it would be best if we never saw each other again."  
  
"I don't know if I could take it," he replied jokingly. "But you're right."  
  
"Of course," she added, allowing a hint of seductiveness to creep into her voice, "we do have these few days."  
  
"Two more, after this."  
  
Padmé sighed inwardly. "Obi-Wan, you are going to have to learn how to take a hint!"  
  
"You gave me a hint?"  
  
She flicked out her tongue momentarily, then, loading her voice with seductiveness, said, "We do have these few days."  
  
He looked blank for a moment, then nodded. "Ah. So you're saying we have the next few days to go as far as we want without having actual intercourse."  
  
She sighed, rubbing her hands on his head again. "You make it sound so unromantic."  
  
His eyes bored into her. "I want to know my limits."  
  
She stared back, suddenly realizing that his thoughts had probably been nearly as wayward as hers; she had thought that, after ten years as a full Jedi and twenty-six years of training, he would have learned to control such feelings. His question also brought a thought, one of such powerful feelings, feelings she had never, ever felt for anyone, not even her own husband. This was so strange, yet so right…it ached…and she knew whatever happened, she would not be able to stop him. Her jaw dropped slightly. "I don't know—I—I don't want there to be any limits."  
  
"You have to set some, Padmé," he said urgently. "Please."  
  
"I can't," she whispered desperately.  
  
He stared at her. "So you don't mind if I do this." He dropped his head and began kissing her neck, hard, moving down to her shoulders and then down the skin that the low neck of her nightdress revealed. She shuddered with pleasure and he brought his head back up, staring into her eyes.  
  
She slowly shook her head. "No. But maybe," she said cautiously, staring up into his eyes, "we should carry on this test in a more private place.  
  
He nodded slowly. "That would probably be a good idea. My room or yours?"  
  
"I think it would be safer in yours. There aren't as many windows, and—." She stopped suddenly when he scooped her up in his arms and carried her. Staring into his determined eyes, she could feel herself sinking into their serene depths, into the security he offered. Hugging his hair, she realized that this was going to be very difficult to stop…but that she did not want it to stop. Ever.  
  
***  
  
Thousands of miles away, on Coruscant, Yoda's eyes snapped open. He glanced around to regain his bearings; yes, that was right, he was sitting in the Meditation Chambers, late at night, deep in meditation, trying to find the Sith and his influences in the Senate. Something had disturbed him enough to rouse him, and if he could remember what it was…. His eyes fluttered shut as he searched through his mind, skimming past the disturbing images of the future, and the muddled confusion in the minds of the Senators, to find…yes, the two Jedi on Naboo, trying to determine if Anakin was still worthy to be a Jedi. Pushing away the burdens the trial would rest on his shoulders, he searched to discover what else had frustrated him…  
  
Obi-Wan Kenobi. Something had happened to him. Yoda groaned inwardly; Obi-Wan was one of the most promising Jedi Knights he had seen in his many centuries of life. But strange, when he reached out across the distances, he felt no pain from the Knight, only a quiet, peaceful contentment…too quiet for one facing his Padawan's trial…but then again, Anakin's sense was farther away from his Master's…  
  
Yoda sighed, pushing farther, trying to see through the fog that represented Naboo's uncultivated life, to the sentient beings that slept…there was Mace, closer to Anakin, but Obi-Wan remained distant…. He closed his eyes and reached with the Force until the picture came to him: Obi-Wan, lying in bed, his arm stretched to the side…but what was troublesome about that? Yoda pushed further, trying to bring the vision into focus, when he saw something nearly overlookable: A small lump in the sheets, right against Obi-Wan, and without pushing further Yoda knew it was the Senator, Padmé Amidala.  
  
Immediately another vision came to him:  
  
   
  
Obi-Wan and Anakin fighting desperately on a volcano, or a rift in the ground, lightsabers clashing over and over, fury radiating off Anakin in nearly visible waves. Betrayal mixed with the anger, and loneliness, and a new purpose…then suddenly Anakin's lightsaber flew from his hand. He was too weak to call it back, and he fell onto his knees in front of his former Master, who pointed his lightsaber at him in a guard.  
  
"Anakin!" Obi-Wan's voice was audible over the torrent of wind and molten lava. "Come back! You don't have to do this!"  
  
"YES I DO!" Anakin screeched.  
  
"Think of your wife! Do you really want to hurt her?"  
  
Anger flamed in Anakin's eyes. "I never hurt her! You bewitched her! You turned her away from me and made me harm her! I never did anything! It was all your design!"  
  
"Anakin! Please! Come back! If not for me, for Padmé!"  
  
"Only if you die!" Anakin screamed. "Only if you leave and never return! And you will not do that, because you love her! I see it in you now, Obi-Wan. You'd never leave us alone!"  
  
"I would! For both your sakes!"  
  
"You lie! He told me you would try to bring me back, just to protect yourselves! You're afraid of me! As soon as I would come with you, you'd kill me, or leave me somewhere and smuggle Padmé out of my reach!"  
  
"Who told you that?" Obi-Wan demanded.  
  
Anakin was slowly crawling backwards to the lip of the crater, although Obi-Wan did not seem to notice. Maybe he was beyond caring. "Chancellor Palpatine! You were wrong about the Senator! It was Palpatine all along! He is my Master now, my Lord, my Emperor!" As he teetered precariously on the edge of the ground, he screamed, "Let that be my curse on you! May it haunt you all your days!"  
  
"Anakin, NO!" Obi-Wan screamed, reaching out a hand. But it was too late; Anakin had tossed himself into the crater, the molten lake. His body disappeared in the lava. Obi-Wan stared down, tears mingling with the sweat, blood, and grime on his face. Suddenly he powered down his lightsaber, turned, and ran. He never saw the tiny figure clinging to the cliff side right above the lava, an expression of fury on his face as the fire trailed down his body while he slowly climbed to the top.  
  
   
  
Yoda's eyes flew open. The vision scared him; it was the first time he could remember ever being truly afraid, excepting the time, when he was a child, that he had seen a battle between three Sith. He frowned. While this affair between Obi-Wan and Padmé was sure to produce strife, he was not sure Anakin would give himself fully over to the Dark Side. As a precaution, he made a mental note to keep Obi-Wan away from the Senator in the future. Of course, knowing them, they had already decided this and decided to enjoy their last days together.  
  
As for the other piece of disturbing information, Anakin's words about Chancellor Palpatine being the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, that seemed very unlikely. Of course, when the Jedi's diminishing power was taken into account, anything had to be taken seriously. Also, the Jedi Master reflected, Palpatine had been amassing much power these days, with his control over the clones and the emergency powers given to him by Jar-Jar. Yoda pursed his lips at the thought of the well-meaning but foolish Gungan, pushed the irritating Senator out of his mind and called his gimer stick to his hand. Slowly he leapt off the meditation seat and hobbled out, resolving to meditate on the matter once the problem of young Skywalker had been solved.  
  
***  
  
"No, Master Yoda, I did not seek any official permission to marry the Senator," Anakin said, irritation creeping in on his senses. He pushed it down and turned to address the holo of Ki-Adi-Mundi with a forced smile. It was the third hour and third round of questioning for his trial, and so far, nothing seemed to be progressing.  
  
He stood in a circular room very similar to the Council's room, excepting that the Masters were all holos (excepting Windu) and that the only windows were at the top of the room, allowing sunlight to filter through the dust and hit the floor. Altogether, the room was stifling, and Anakin was bored. Very, very bored.  
  
"Yes, I did ask her father's permission. Tradition."  
  
Yoda glanced at the rest of the Council, then at Windu, who turned to Anakin and said formally, "Then it appears we have finished the third round of questioning. We are allowed to take a lunch break and are expected back at two o'clock local time for the final round of questioning."  
  
"Thank you, Masters," said Anakin, bowing. The holos nodded in return then winked out of existence. Anakin sped from the room and out into the marketplace, ignoring the sights and sounds and twirling around in the sunlight.  
  
"You're not free yet," said the amused voice of Mace Windu. Anakin stopped twirling, facing the opposite direction and suppressing a sigh. Windu was starting to get on his nerves. The whole process was. He headed to a local café, purchased something edible, and sat down at a table. As he expected, Windu joined him.  
  
"This is a waste," he complained. "They obviously haven't heard anything they like. Why don't they just kick me out of the Order and be done with it?"  
  
"They have to give you a chance," Windu observed neutrally. In his position as acting-Master for Anakin, (which basically meant he was a defending attorney) he was not allowed to assist in judging Anakin's case.  
  
"Right, because I'm the Chosen One," Anakin said with a sigh, taking a bite out of his sandwich and looking out at the streets. When he had swallowed, he blew out his breath, allowing it to lift his bangs. "That's the only reason they're making this big of an exception, isn't it?" When Windu did not reply, he added, "I bet anyone else with my history would be politely let go, but you have to keep me safe because I'm the Chosen One."  
  
"View it however you want."  
  
Anakin let out a derisive laugh. "You and your neutral comments."  
  
Windu studied him. Anakin ignored this and continued watching the streets. After a long pause (one that stretched so long Anakin began to wonder if he had offended the Master) he replied, "Are you always like this?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Anakin could not see where Windu was expecting to arrive with this.  
  
"Around your wife. Are you always like this?"  
  
Anakin stared at him. "Of course not!"  
  
"Ah." Windu looked out at the street, scanning, before continuing, "So, what makes you act like that now? Is it your disrespect for me? Your general annoyance with the Jedi Order?"  
  
"What are you talking about?" He was annoyed with Windu, sure, but he did not disrespect him. Sure, the whole ordeal was pointless, but he was not annoyed with them for trying…never mind, he was. It was useless to search for something that would allow them to bring him back into the fold; why did they keep trying? To protect themselves? From what? What would he do to them that would cause that sort of reaction…Suddenly he knew that Windu had somehow discovered the disaster on Tatooine with the Sand People, and had informed the Council.  
  
Windu nodded. "Very insightful."  
  
Anakin sighed, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. "Look, it was a bout of extreme emotion. It's not as if I always go on killing rampages. And I know the dangers of the Dark Side." His right arm twitched. "Trust me."  
  
Windu smiled a sad and knowing smile. "You're young and headstrong. The Council realizes it, and one day you will look back and realize it." He almost seemed to sense Anakin's anger at being dismissed in such a manner; he changed the subject by gesturing at Anakin's right arm. "Does it bother you much?"  
  
Anakin glanced at it. His sleeve hid the barely visible seam where his arm—if you could still call it that—ended and the replacement began. "Not really. I usually forget it's fake. Biomechanical engineering is amazing."  
  
"You were lucky to find it, especially here on Naboo."  
  
Anakin shrugged, deciding to meet Windu's verbal probe head on. "If you must know, Padmé pulled a few strings to get it for me."  
  
Windu sat back, apparently satisfied. They spoke no more to each other throughout the rest of the break, and finally it was time to return to the room. Anakin stood in the center of the circle for several minutes, thinking with muted anger that if the Council was so powerful, did they really have to eat as much as the average person? Finally, the holos began flickering to life: the Council members, seated in their own chairs, and looking quite relaxed. Amazing, what climate-control can do, Anakin thought sourly as he wiped perspiration off his forehead.  
  
"Two questions more, have we for you," said Yoda. Anakin forced himself to look down into his image, focusing on a large wrinkle right above the petite Master's forehead. "Complete truth we require. Ready, are you?"  
  
"Yes, Master." Yes, Master, what other stupid question can you come up with?  
  
Yoda looked at every member of the Council, including Windu, before slowly saying, "Fully dedicated to life and light, are you? Harbor no revenge, no anger?"  
  
"No," said Anakin. "I'm a little upset at being disturbed during my honeymoon, and at my mother's sudden death, but beyond that, no."  
  
Yoda squinted at him. "No darkness in you?"  
  
"No," Anakin said firmly, squelching any voices that might resist. Including the one that gave him the dark dreams…and the wish for power…  
  
Yoda nodded gradually, as though he did not quite believe him. "Second question we have for you. Ever used the Dark side, have you?"  
  
"Yes," Anakin said, very reluctantly, knowing they already knew the truth. "Once."  
  
"Do this, you did." Yoda nodded again. "Tusken Raiders, your target. Revenge, your purpose. Feel revenge, you did?" Anakin nodded painfully. "Why?"  
  
"They killed my mother." As he said the words, Anakin felt all his hatred for them begin to build. And the calling, the calling of the darkness, teasing him, offering him the power he needed to stop slavery, to kill all the Raiders, not just the one tribe…NO, he thought firmly, summoning an image of Padmé.  
  
"Attached to her, you were?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Yoda stared Anakin down, forcing him to blink and look away, embarrassed. Coming to his decision, Yoda turned to Windu, who nodded and stepped forward from the shadows where he stood, directly behind his seat in the Council. Something in Anakin marveled at the Jedi's ability to read each other over such long distances.  
  
"Anakin Skywalker, it is the decision of the Jedi Council that, given your quick temper, your attachment to people and things, and your tactics of defending them, that you may not remain married to Senator Padmé Amidala and remain a Jedi."  
  
Anakin nodded slowly, knowing what he should say, feeling the words stick to his throat. He had promised his mother he would become a Jedi, and looked what had happened. He hoped she would understand. Staring directly at Yoda, he said, "Jedi Council, it is then my decision to leave the Jedi Order and pursue the life of an ordinary citizen of the Republic."  
  
Yoda gestured to Windu, and the tall Jedi came forward and took Anakin's lightsaber. He switched it on, turned it to the lowest power setting, and in one swift motion severed Anakin's Padawan braid. Anakin watched it fall to the ground, feeling an odd detachment from it, as though his removal from the Jedi Order had happened a long time ago, probably when he first realized he loved Padmé. Dimly, in the back of his turmoil-filled mind, he heard Windu switch off the lightsaber and bow to the Council. Anakin bowed, too, somewhat perfunctorily, and waited until every holo winked out. Yoda's lingered, frowning at the young former Jedi, as though realizing that something had come true and not liking what would follow. Anakin shrugged and followed Windu out the door.  
  
"So what now?" he asked, blinking in the sunlight as he fell into step behind the Jedi.  
  
"Now we return to that cottage, and we leave," Windu answered, staring straight ahead.  
  
Anakin nodded. "Good."  
  
Windu glanced at him. "Are you at all upset?"  
  
He shrugged. "Not really. I knew this would happen as soon as I told Padmé I loved her, and it became stronger when she told me she loved me back." Looking straight ahead, so that the Jedi was in his peripheral vision, he added softly, "I guess I stopped being a Jedi a long time ago."  
  
Windu remained silent for a long moment as they climbed into their speeder. As Anakin began running it through its startup sequence, he said, "I'm very sorry. You would have made a good Jedi." Clearing his throat, he added in an official voice, "You realize, now, that you cannot use your abilities without permission unless you are in a dire emergency. Your lightsaber will be taken away from you, and you must live like an ordinary person." Lifting an eyebrow, he added, "That does not mean, of course, that you have to give up a Jedi lifestyle; you can still adopt our practices to your daily life."  
  
"Thank you, Master," said Anakin, somewhat sardonically. "Do you wish to send my Mas—I mean, do you wish to send Obi-Wan a message?"  
  
Windu smiled faintly at his mistake. Anakin cursed himself. It was time to move on, and put that behind him. That was another closed door, just as his first nine years were closed (and locked) behind a door. "Yes, I would. I have a comlink, thank you."  
  
Anakin hesitated. No matter what he might say, or sometimes feel, Obi-Wan was the closest he had to a father. He would miss him, and his advice, but then again he would be free from his reprimands. Still, he owed his former Master so much. "Tell him—tell him that…well, I'll miss being his Padawan. And that I'm sorry."  
  
Windu might have smiled again; Anakin could not tell. Tears began to well up in his eyes, and he angrily swiped at them. It was not his fault. Besides, now he could look forward to a quiet—semi-quiet—life with Padmé…. The engines roared to life, and he swerved out of the city and back towards his wife.  
  
***  
  
Obi-Wan woke with a start. It was still night, judging by the lack of light outside the windows. Of course, that was not saying much; plum curtains had been drawn over the windows. Still, when he reached out with his senses, all that he felt in the forest was the alertness of nocturnal predators and their prey. Blinking, he settled back into his pillows and wondered what had wakened him. A dream, probably, or a nightmare, possibly involving Anakin; that would certainly be enough to wake up anyone. Along with Mace Windu, Anakin would be arriving back at the cabin tomorrow, late in the afternoon. It was a depressing thought, meaning that Anakin's cause to rejoin the Jedi Order had been rejected. Perhaps it was for the best.  
  
He looked down. Cuddled underneath his right arm, pressed against his side, Padmé slept peacefully. He smiled down at her and gently stroked her hair with his fingers. At least some things in the universe were still beautiful and perfect. The past four days had been a blessing from paradise, just the two of them, reveling and wondering in love. He still could not believe the depth of his feelings. He had secured them away weeks ago, after telling Anakin that perhaps his senses were more attuned to her than his. He had not dreamed about her at all, like Anakin had often talked about. But something about her was special enough to warrant his attention; and something about being with her was so right, he could not stand that they had to be apart. Yet, another part of him was happy; it shied away from the depth and breadth and height of any passion. It was the Jedi in him: There is not emotion, there is peace.  
  
As if sensing his thoughts, her eyes fluttered open. She focused on his side, then looked up and smiled. He smiled back down at her. "What're you thinking about?" she whispered, stretching out and scooting up until they were nearly at eye level. Their faces were mere inches apart, and the love for her coursing through him made him slightly breathless.  
  
"About things. Jedi matters."  
  
With a sigh, she wiggled her arm around her shoulders. They lay looking up at the ceiling; Obi-Wan envisioned the stars above. "Not about the state of the galaxy."  
  
"No," he assured her. "About the Code, about the part of me that wants to get away. After all: There is no emotion…"  
  
"…there is peace," she finished for him. "Do you still believe that?"  
  
"It's not saying there are no emotions, it's saying that when a Jedi is most in tune with the Force his emotions don't hold any more sway over him…to a point, I suppose, because you have to use your feelings to reach the Force in the first place. Maybe it's like finding a balance, like if I were to choose between my death and yours, in a situation where it would be my job to defend you, if I were totally centered, there wouldn't be choice."  
  
"No," she agreed. "We'd both die."  
  
He glanced over at her. A slight smile played with her lips, although she was not looking at him. "You don't really mean that."  
  
Padmé turned her head to look at him. "What makes you say that?"  
  
"You wouldn't lose everything for me. The rest of the galaxy needs you, you must remember."  
  
She rubbed her hand up and down his side, sending tingles through him. Looking up at him, she said softly, "But what would life be without you?"  
  
"Get used to the idea," he said, pushing his pain away to the best of his ability and looking away from her. "You said it yourself, we can't see each other again after this."  
  
Removing her arm, she pushed herself up on her elbows, catching the sheet and pulling it up under her arms as she leaned over to see one side of his face. He watched her out of the corner of his eye, marveling at her ability to stay modest. Not that it really mattered, here, now. "What just got into you, Obi-Wan? What, was this just a pleasure cruise for you?"  
  
He sat up so quickly she gasped and clung to the sheet. Staring at her, he retorted, "How do I know it wasn't the same for you? I love you, but how do I know you do? You're the one who's already married, after all."  
  
"How can you say that?" she hissed at him. He felt her pain, rolling off her, as well as seeing the hurt in her eyes. "Obi-Wan, I wouldn't do this to Anakin with just anyone."  
  
"See, that's the root of the problem, isn't it." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "You're married, and we shouldn't be doing this."  
  
She looked down, her lashes lying against her smooth cheeks. Obi-Wan reached out and gently caressed her cheek. She sighed and hesitantly leaned over until she was against his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Let's not think about that," she suggested. "Let's talk about something else."  
  
"Do you love me?" he asked.  
  
She sighed, her breath whispering against his skin. "I've been so blind, ignoring everything. With Anakin, it was so straightforward and simple: He needed me and I thought I needed him. Part of me was dying every day since we kissed, since we first met for the second time, I told him. And it was. I was slowly dying, because I kissed him. Him, not you. And now…" she sighed again, heavily, tiredly, "now I must reap the crop I sowed.  
  
"Three weeks, Obi. We've been married for only three weeks, and already I'm in love with someone else. I should never have allowed him to do anything, should never have gotten his hopes this high, because I realize now that he's like my younger brother: Someone I need to guide and protect. I'm not supposed to be his lover, but now, because I didn't see the difference between my love and his love…"  
  
"Hey, hey," he said. "This isn't your fault. It's mine. I should have tried to talk to one of you, but I never got the chance. And now…"  
  
"Now we're alone," Padmé said, her dark eyes staring up at him. He met her gaze, pouring love through the connection.  
  
"No," he corrected, "you're not alone."  
  
"But you are," she said. "And if you are, I am."  
  
After a quiet moment he said, "I'll still be able to sense you, wherever you are. I'll think of you, too."  
  
"I'll think of you, too, and listen for reports of you. Then maybe neither of us will feel so alone," she whispered. He nodded, stroking her shoulder, and they sat for several minutes. She was so lovely, so picturesque, so everything he had longed for in his life. And he was losing her.  
  
"You never answered me," he said, trying to bring his mind back to other, slightly happier thoughts. "Do you love me?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Why?"  
  
Padmé shrugged slightly, biting her lip as she pondered her answer. "Because…you give everything to me. I feel so happy, so content and secure, in your arms. In your presence, I have to give back what you give me. Anakin…Anakin takes it all, and gives back what is left. He tells me he loves me, and I have no doubt he does, and I know I love him, but now I realize that it's not the sort of love I thought it was." She sighed. "Like I said, he's like my brother. You…these feelings I have for you are never-ending. When I look at you, I don't see someone I should smile at and beat up, I see someone who I want to be with every day for the rest of my life, so I can enjoy his laughs, his caress, his pain, his warmth, his temper, everything in him, and give him the joy of having everything from me. I suppose something like this would have happened between us eventually; it just happened to be sooner rather than later."  
  
He smiled softly. "I'm glad it was sooner. Later would probably be much harder to conceal." He squeezed her, hoping to help her with his next question. "What happened on Tatooine?"  
  
She shifted uneasily under his arm. "That was an abrupt change of subject. What is this, an interrogation?"  
  
"Sorry."  
  
She smiled tightly. "I suppose you ought to know…we found his stepfather, and discovered his mother had been kidnapped by the Sand People. He went to find her, and she died, and he killed the entire group of Sand People."  
  
"Ah." Obi-Wan mulled this over in his mind.  
  
"He repented but…sometimes, I'm scared."  
  
"I'm here."  
  
"I know."  
  
After a moment of comforting her with his presence, he whispered. "I'll miss you. Your eloquence, your grace…your everything." Somehow, the words fit.  
  
"I'll miss you too," she murmured back. "Your everything." After another moment she said, "When dawn comes…we'll have to start covering all this up."  
  
"Mm-hm," he said absent-mindedly, heart pounding, waiting for her to suggest what was on each of their minds.  
  
"So…how long do you think we have until then?"  
  
He shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. After four days of her flirtations, he felt he was finally getting the hang of this. Padmé assured him this would prove helpful in most of his negotiations, the ability to take hints. "Oh, a couple of hours."  
  
"Hm." Straightening, she stared him in the face and said, "Long enough to do this?" She leaned in and kissed him.  
  
He allowed her to warm his lips, tangle with his tongue, for a few moments before pulling back. "Oh, I think so," he said breathlessly, smiling at her.  
  
"Good." She pulled him down onto the pillows and brought his face back to hers. Clinging desperately to her, and savoring, storing every moment into his memory, he lost himself in the bliss of her love.  
  
***  
  
Padmé stood silently next to Anakin as he, Master Windu, and Obi-Wan exchanged their proper Jedi good-byes. Anakin's arm was around her, and he seemed content. She could not bear to be there, though. So close to her love, and yet so far…separated by one, unknowing person, and it would always be that way.  
  
"Well, I'm not sure, perhaps this is for the best," Anakin was saying to Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan. He looked so wonderful…she pushed the thought out of her mind. He had warned her that, knowing Anakin, he would be reading her surface thoughts.  
  
"I suppose," Windu replied. "The Force works in mysterious ways." He clasped Anakin's hand briefly and each bowed. "I wish you the best happiness and blessings."  
  
"Thank you," she said with a smile. Anakin nodded to him, and Windu turned and hopped into his one-man fighter. An identical one rested on the ground next to it: Obi-Wan's ship.  
  
Speaking of the Jedi Master, it was his turn to say good-bye. "Well Anakin," he said, turning to his former Padawan with his hands clasped in front of him, "it appears that perhaps my lessons in galactic politics will prove useful in your future life."  
  
"Oh, I don't think so, Obi-Wan," said Anakin with a wink at Padmé. "Like that one about all politicians supporting only those who fund their campaigns, or the one that says no politician should be trusted…"  
  
The Jedi chuckled. Padmé savored the way the chuckle landed on her ears, briefly closing her eyes before remembering that Anakin would be watching. With a quick smile she said, "Okay, I already know all the rules about bringing him home safely and taking care of him. He'll be fine, I promise you."  
  
"What's in the promise of a politician?" the men chorused. Padmé rolled her eyes and sighed as they laughed.  
  
"Are you done?" she said finally, once the laughter had died down.  
  
"Oh, no," said Anakin, "I'll never be done laughing."  
  
She gave him her most regal stare. "But you're done laughing at me."  
  
He straightened almost instinctively. "Yes ma'am."  
  
Obi-Wan laughed at his discomfort. "Oh, dear, Anakin," he teased, "I hear that once the honeymoon's over, the she-devil arrives."  
  
"OH!" Padmé exclaimed as the two howled. She slapped both of them on the arm and glared. "I certainly hope that's the last of the crude jokes, sir." Continuing to glare she added, "Because if it isn't, you two are just going to have to suffer the consequences."  
  
Anakin, after glancing at Obi-Wan, raised a hand and lifted her into the air while Obi-Wan ignited his lightsaber and pointed it at her. "Oh, I think we can deal with those."  
  
"Right," she said scathingly. "Now PUT ME DOWN."  
  
Anakin bowed, sweeping the ground with his hand and setting her down with a soft thud. "Of course, M'lady."  
  
The trio stood there, watching each other, until finally Obi-Wan said, "I noticed something but never had a chance to mention it…what are you planning to do with the droids?"  
  
"Threepio and Artoo?" Anakin said.  
  
"Oh, we're going to keep them," Padmé added. "Threepio will be useful, being an etiquette and protocol droid, and Artoo is just…useful."  
  
Obi-Wan bowed briefly. "Well, I suppose if I'm leaving you in such capable hands and…appendages," Padmé giggled, "I will take my leave of you now." He stretched out a hand to Anakin, who took it and pulled him into a strong hug.  
  
"Take care, Obi-Wan," said Anakin. "Thank you for everything. And…" He hesitated, then asked, "Look, I figure our first child will end up becoming a Jedi, so would you mind giving my lightsaber to him?"  
  
"Of course I will." Obi-Wan released him and raised an eyebrow. "You're welcome, Anakin. And thank you for teaching me everything I'll ever need to know about helping children."  
  
Anakin raised an eyebrow of his own while Padmé said, "Oh, dear, Master Obi-Wan, did no one ever tell you there was a difference between boys and girls?"  
  
She allowed a mischievous twinkle to light her eye, and after a startled silence, the two men burst out laughing. "Well, Anakin, it appears you have your work cut out for you."  
  
Anakin nodded sadly. "I suppose I'll have to work to keep her in line."  
  
Obi-Wan bowed again. "May it be a thousand times easier than keeping you in line."  
  
"Hey!"  
  
The two smiled at each other, and Padmé knew she was only privy to the external feelings in the smile. Much obviously passed between them, because when they broke eye contact, each had many more tears in their eyes. Obi-Wan turned to her, and she caught her breath, trying to give him a good-bye with her eyes. He returned the feelings with his own look, but it could only be fleeting; but that was all right, they had already said goodbye. Taking a deep breath, she managed a smile and said, "Thank you for all the work you've put into him. I'm hoping it will make him much more docile."  
  
"I wouldn't count on it," he said, smiling back. She extended a hand and he took it, bowed, and kissed it gently. It tickled, slightly, and she relished the feeling with every nerve in her body. He whispered, for her ears alone, "Goodbye, My lady."  
  
She forced back the tears that were forming in her eyes and smiled, whispering, "And you, My Jedi," knowing he would hear.  
  
When he stood, he released her hand, smiled at both of them, and bowed. "Many blessings on you both."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
He turned and bounded to his ship. Hopping onto the port wing, he looked back and called, "May the Force be with you!"  
  
"May the Force be with you, too," they called back. He nodded with a smile, climbed into his ship, and took off for space, and Coruscant. Anakin settled his arm around her shoulders as they watched until the ship was no more than a speck against the blue sky.  
  
"So, Mrs. Skywalker," he said, squeezing her shoulders, "what shall we do, now that we only have three days left?"  
  
She shrugged, pushing Obi-Wan back to a corner of her mind to lurk. She allowed Anakin, and the love she thought she had for him, to fill her thoughts. "I don't know. I'm hungry, though; do you want me to make dinner?"  
  
He snorted. "Oh, no. I remember that fiasco. I'm going to cook dinner."  
  
She shrugged again, smiling. "All right, but remember, this makes you in charge of housework."  
  
"Housework?" He staggered, pressing his free hand to his heart. "I thought we had maids for that."  
  
"Oh, no, you see, I fired them when we married."  
  
After a moment, he laughed and kissed her cheek. "Very funny. Now come and let me see about dinner."  
  
With one last look at the sky, she turned back to him and nodded. Together, they entered the cabin.  
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
Epilogue  
  
Darth Sidious awoke from his dark meditation with a rather sadistic smile playing with his lips. Turning around in his throne-like chair, he faced his private unit of espionage equipment and readouts from everywhere in the galaxy. He relished the feeling of power the small pictures granted him before pressing a button in front of a blank com unit. After several minutes, just when Sidious was beginning to feel annoyed, a face appeared on the screen: Count Dooku, his newest apprentice.  
  
"Master?" Dooku said eagerly.  
  
Sidious allowed another small, triumphant smile. "It appears that my plans have worked perfectly. Jedi Kenobi has given into his feelings for the Senator from Naboo, and she has reciprocated them. Now all that remains is for Skywalker to discover this, and to allow his hatred to boil over."  
  
"So the time to strike is now?" Dooku's face, his zeal and simplicity, made Sidious want to laugh. He had no idea that when young Skywalker did give into his anger and his hate, and joined the Dark Side, that he, Dooku, would be an old, useless piece of junk that would have to be dealt with.  
  
Still, he wanted to teach Dooku everything, so that when the time of betrayal did come, perhaps the blinding obviousness of the scheme would haunt him. "Patience, Lord. We must cultivate everyone's emotions to perfection before striking. The Jedi must grow weaker, Skywalker must become more attached to the pretty thing he calls his wife, the Senator must realize her numbness concerning Skywalker and her subsequent passion for Kenobi, and Kenobi must realize how very fiery his emotions can be. Then, when all has simmered to a boiling point, we must push Kenobi and Amidala together and send Skywalker away, only to have him return at," he sighed theatrically, "such an awkward time."  
  
"What if they don't act on their emotions, Master?"  
  
Sidious shook his head inwardly. "They will, Dooku, because that is how deep their petty feelings will run. We will have to keep them separated long enough for them to need, if you understand that they only think they need, to act on their feelings. This is why the whole operation is so delicate; why neither Skywalker nor his wife may encounter any Jedi they are familiar with, and why Kenobi must be sent elsewhere during the Senator's visits. The key is timing, Dooku, and for this we will need patience. It will take at least a year; I would hope for two, or three." Another smile came to mind. "Just long enough for a new batch of clones."  
  
"Clones, Master?" Dooku said, confused.  
  
"There obviously must be a crisis to help push the lovers along, Dooku; otherwise, with the knowledge that they'll meet again, nothing will happen." He allowed his smile to become visible even beneath the hood of his black robe. "As you see, the galaxy will soon be ripe for the taking. With Skywalker on our side, we will unstoppable."  
  
Dooku nodded respectfully. "Of course, Master. Orders?"  
  
Sidious sighed. "I wish for you to continue your disruption in the Senate, and your coalescing of the secessionists under our banner."  
  
"Yes, Master. Is that all?"  
  
"Yes. Dismissed." Sidious waved a hand and the screen went dark. Dark as his thoughts…he placed the tips of his fingers together and smiled. Dooku was only privy to part of his plans, as he should be. It would be a waste to invest such knowledge in such a useless pawn. Skywalker, on the other hand…Skywalker had proved to be immensely powerful, but very rash. Sidious would take it upon himself to turn that rashness into something more useful to a Dark Lord of the Sith…. Yes, that would be most satisfying.  
  
As would Skywalker's hatred for the Jedi. This was another private project, one that was even more delicate than the twisted love triangle plan. He did not want Skywalker returning while the Senator and Kenobi were still together; no, they would be separated, and then he would being Skywalker back and show him tapes of the two together, just enough to hint at what was going on. Skywalker, being infinitely distrustful of the Sith, would not believe him. He would go, however, to the Jedi Council, and when they were unable to see the truth, he would ask them to keep Kenobi away from the Senator. Most unfortunately, that would not be possible, for Kenobi would be the only Jedi not fighting with the new clones. His anger at their uselessness would grow, carefully cultivated by Sidious's outwardly sympathetic ear. The ear that Skywalker himself had said belonged to "…a good man." Then, then, then, finally then, young Skywalker would be ready for the final test. First, he would duel against Dooku; while it was true that the Count had already beaten him, Sidious was confident that when Skywalker took advantage of the new powers being shown to him Dooku would be powerless.  
  
Then he would send Skywalker up against a Jedi Master, probably Windu. If Skywalker passed the test, he would be welcomed into the fold, the Order of the Dark Lords of the Sith. And then, Sidious's long years of patient waiting would be over. With the Chosen One in his control, the galaxy would be ripe for the taking. The Sith would rule, unstoppable by even the Jedi.  
  
Sidious smiled in the darkness. Yes, the Sith would rule, as was their destiny. He stood and looked out upon Coruscant, the symbol of power in the galaxy. Soon, the planet would answer to him and him alone. With a grim nod, he decided that yes, yes, it would finally be a good day.  
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
A/N II: "And one day she realized that when he was saying 'My lady' what he was really saying was 'I love you.' "  
  
Sorry, couldn't resist. ;-) I know, the romance seems very, rushed and implausible. I also don't know how to spell Dooku's Sith title, so I just left that out (I could barely understand Sidious when he said it, so…). Now, please R/R! 


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